Starter.



.1. B ENTZ. STARTER.

APPLIOATION FILED AP B..20,191Z.

1,052,575. Patented Feb. 11, 1-913 lkAAAA onrrnn em rges rairnn'r orrion.

Jusrus 'B. ENTZ, or. CLEVELAND, OHIO.

STARTER.

To all whom it may 00m Be it known that I, JUsrUs B.'EN']7Z, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Starters, of which the following is atoll. clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in starters fo'r internal combustion engines, and has tortits" main object the provision of means for minimizing liability of premature ignition in a cylinder, that is ignition prior to the time that the pistonreaches the end of its eompression'stroke, while the engine is being turned over by the starter. p

A further object s to provide means which prevent the operator stopping the engine when the controlling switch of an electric starting" and lighting system, including a dynamo motor, is closed.

Ignition systems "for internal combustion engines, especially those employed in motor vehicles usually include a magneto having associated therewith a mechanically operated circuit breaker which periodically closes and opens the magneto circuit, and a magneto switch by which the magneto may becut into or out of service. This switch, when closed, short circuits the magneto, and as long as it is closed renders the circuit breaker inotlective, but when it isopened, the magneto circuit may be periodically opened and closed by the circuit breaker. In case,however, this switch after being closed, is opened at the time that the circuit breaker is open, there occurs in the magneto armature'practi'cally the same magnetic and electrical effects that normally occur on the opening of the circuit breaker. It is customary also at the present time to start internal combustion engines by starting motors of electric or other types which turn over the engine until ignition takes" place in the cylinders, and the engine is operated under its own power. Ordinarily when the engine is being turned over, the spark is retarded so that the igniting are is not created in the cylinder until after the piston has completed its compression stroke. When the spark is retarded by the adjustment of the circuit breaker, premature ignition prior to the time that the piston reaches the end of its con'ipression stroke, cannot take place providingthe. magneto switch is left undis- Speei ficati-on ofletters Patent, Patented Feb. 11, 1913. Application filed April 20, 1912. Serial'No. 692,159.

turbed. It has been found, however, that when the spark is retarded and the engine 'is being turned over by .the starter if the magneto switch is closed and opened by hand, as might bedone by a more or less iiicxper enced operator, it is possible to open the switch, and hence the magneto circuit prior to the time that the circuit would normally be opened by the circuit breaker, and at such a time in the cycle of the generated Wave, that premature ignition may take place. Ifthis occurs, the engine is liable to start backward and serious damage will result. By my present invention, the liability of premature ignition under the above mentioned circumstances is eliminated by the provision of means for rendering impossible the opening and closing of the ignition circuit independently of the circuit breaker or by the opening and closing of the ignition controlling switch during the time that the engine is being turned over by the starter.

Vhen. my invention is employed in connection with a starting and lighting system including a dynamo motor or dynamo electric machine, which is to s rve both as a motor for starting purposes, and as a generator for lighting and battery charging purposes, as herein shown and described. it impossible for the operator to stop the engine by short circuiting the magneto without opening thestarter switch, that is will: out disconnecting the battery and dynamicmotor.

My invention may be briefly summarized asconsisting in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts which will be de scribed in the specification and set forth in the appended claims.

The single figure of the drawings shovs diagrammatically a conibincd starting and a portion of an ignition system equipped it-h one form of my invention.

Although it is immaterial as far as the broad features of my invention are concerned,- the particular'type of starter and the particular type of ignition system which are employed, I have, however, ing illustrated an electric starter, as my invention is of particular utility in connection with a starter of this type, and I have here shown a so-callcd hightension magneto, the latter being shown for con- ;enience of illustration only.

in the draw- In the drawing l have shown at 10 a portion of the crank shaft of the engine, which is designed to be started by a dynamo electro machine 11, when supplied with current from a battery 12. The dynamo electro machine 11 may serve as a motor to start the engine, and after the engine is started, as a generator to charge the battery 12., or to supply current t6 the lamps of a lighting circuit 13. The dynamo electro machine, which for convenience and ease of description may be hereinafter referred to as themotor, may be connected to the crank shaft by any sort of driving mechanism, gearing 14 being here shown. The motor and battery are designed to be connected or disconnected by means of a starter controlling switch 15.

At- 16 is shown a magneto having in this case a secondary winding l6 which will be connected in the usual manner to a distributer and spark plugs not shown, and having a primary winding 16 whose circuit is adapted to be opened and closed periodically in the usual manner by a circuit breaker 17 which is operated by a camgenerallymounted on the armature shaft. This circuit breaker, as will be seen from the drawing, short circuits the primary and thence opens the same. 1

Tie magneto switch previously referred to is shown at 18. This switch 18 is ordinarily so connected to the winding that when closed, it as effectively short-circuits i the magneto as does the circuit breaker, and I when opened, opens the circuit of the magneto, it the contacts of the circuit breaker happen to be open or separated. To eliminatethe danger of premature ignition by operating this magneto switch at the time the engine is being started or turned over by the motor 11, I provide in series rela- .tion with this switch 18, a third switch 19,

\ switch l5is closed, t e switch 19 will be 1 including in this case a movable switch blade and a pair of terminals, and so provide means whereby the starter controlling device 15 when operated to cause the starter to turn over the engine renders the switch. 18 ineffective for closing or opening the magneto circuit. In this case, this is accomplished by connecting the blade of the switch 19 to the switch 15, so that when the opened, and when the switch 15 is opened, the switch 18 will be closed.

I do not desire my invention to be limited to any specific details or to any specific forms of the devices employed in carrying out my invention, except so -far as I am Games 01 this patent may he obtained for five cents expressly limited by the terms of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a starter therefor, a source of ignition current, a switch for controlling the ingit-ion, and means for rendering said swi ch ineffective when the engine is being turned over by the starter.

2. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a starter therefor, an operable controlling member for the starter,

an ignition circuit, an ignition controlling switch, and means associated with said controlling means for rendering said switch ineffective when the engine is being turned over by the starter.

3. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a starter, an operable con-, trolling member for the starter, a source of igi'lition current, an ignition controlling switch, and means for having an operative connection with said controlling member for rendering said switch inelfective when said controlling member is operated to cause the starter to turn over the engine.

4:. In combinationwith an internal com bustion engine, a starter, an operable controlling member for the starter, a source of ignition current, an ignition cont-rolling switch, and a second switch in series relation with said switch and mechanically connected to the operable member so that said second switch is opened when the operable member is actuated to cause the starter to turn over the engine.

5. In combination with an internal combustion engine, a starting system comprising a motor for turning over the engine, a battery for supplying currentto the motor anda starter switch for connecting and disconnecting the battery and motor, ignitingmeans for the engine comprising a magneto,

.a magneto switch for short circuiting the magneto so as to render it effective orineflective for ignition purposes, and a third switch in series relation with the magneto. switch and connected to the starter switch so that the third switch will be opened when. the starter switch is closed and will be closed when the starter switch is opened.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of tyvmwitnesses.

Ii. It. SULL'IVAN, A. F. Kwis.

each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatcnts,

Washington, D. G. 

